When DAV member Jack Van Ness became aware of DAV’s charitable gift annuity program, he knew it was a good way for him to meet his goals for retirement income and also help those who sacrificed so much of themselves in service to our country. The Marine veteran said that helping fellow service members is important to him.

After Van Ness left the Marine Corps, he became a corporate and commercial pilot. When he retired from that career, he fueled his passion for flying by volunteering with the Commemorative Air Force (CAF) and purchasing a replica of the Mitsubishi A6M “Zero” aircraft used by the Imperial Japanese Navy during World War II. He flew his plane to air shows all over the East Coast with his CAF unit as part of its mission to restore and preserve World War II-era aircraft.

During their yearly stop at the Joint Services Open House air show at Joint Base Andrews in Maryland, he and other CAF pilots and crew always went to the former Walter Reed Army Medical Center in Washington, D.C., to visit service members wounded in Iraq and Afghanistan.

Van Ness said seeing the severity of the service members’ injuries and the strength and determination they showed in the face of adversity left a profound impact on him. That experience led him to contribute to DAV to help those injured while serving their country.

“Who better to help than those who gave far more than I did?” said Van Ness.

Van Ness said donating through a charitable gift annuity was an easy decision to make. It gives him peace of mind with both his financial and estate planning. He benefits from the guaranteed annual payments the gift generates while ensuring it will also help injured veterans in the future.

“It worked out well for me, and it worked out well for DAV,” he said.